


How to save the universe, according to Carol Danvers and Loki of Asgard

by HappyIsBlue



Series: Be unbreakable, go highter, further, faster [2]
Category: Captain Marvel (2019), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Awesome Carol Danvers, BAMF Carol Danvers, Blood Magic, F/F, Genderfluid Loki (Marvel), Good Loki (Marvel), IN SPACE, Intergalactic web of crime, Investigations, Loki (Marvel) Needs a Hug, M/M, Parent Carol Danvers, Rewriting Toxic Myths, Witches
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-06
Updated: 2021-03-01
Packaged: 2021-03-18 18:42:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 16,723
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29248212
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HappyIsBlue/pseuds/HappyIsBlue
Summary: Carol really thought it was going to be a good day. Until the High Chancellor of the Intergalactic Confederation summoned her to talk to her about a crime of the utmost importance.From then on, everything went wrong. And she has to team up with a smug god who seems to know more than anyone else.Fortunately, the fate of the universe is not at stake... Is it?This story could have been called: "Carol and Loki: The Best (Worst) Intergalactic Detectives".
Relationships: Carol Danvers & Loki, Carol Danvers & Original Character(s), Carol Danvers/Original Female Character (Past relationship)
Series: Be unbreakable, go highter, further, faster [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2074446
Comments: 6
Kudos: 12





	1. Step 1 : Find a good mystery

**Author's Note:**

> The second part of be unbreakable, go higher, faster and further !  
> In the last part, Carol Danvers became the mother of Antonia "Toni" Stark (1982-...) and best-friend/co-parent with Howard Stark Jr. (1960-...). It's probably the only reminder that you need.

**Dhurn Galaxy, Sabik, the planet of bargains**

Carol Danvers adored action. She enjoyed it when adrenaline ran through her veins, when her power surrounded her like a halo of warmth. Released from its chains, she was happy to discover the universe and come to its rescue, she was happy to see all its wonderful things that the rest of humanity wouldn't discovered for hundreds of years.

Unfortunately, the work of universe’s heroine also had its flaws.

For example, running through a cramped market to catch a trafficker from Flerken.

It was a beautiful day though. She had finally found the bastard who was locking up these space cats to exploit their powers, or worse.

Baaden, that was his name, operated on the planet Sabik, a huge market on the border of four galaxies. A quarter of the planet was a veritable spaceship park, and the rest was a system of narrow aisles and tall buildings where beings from all the surrounding galaxies piled up. There was a nameless hubbub as exotic products were sold at supposedly unbeatable prices.

An extremely prolific economic platform, but also the ideal place to set up a black market and more particularly a Flerken market.

-« Asshole. “The blonde yelled as she chased him down between the aisles, shoving all the poor civilians who were just trying to do good business.

Sabik's disadvantage was clearly the arrest of individuals and the chases. She could not use her power without risking harm to an innocent person, so she pursued Baaden in the old-fashioned way, swearing, trying not to lose track of him in a crowd that stretched as far as the eye could see.

-« Excuse me! " She shouted, hoping to be heard. "Excuse me! Make way! What an asshole! »

-« You have no shame ! " A woman hollered, a Xandarian, covering her child's ears.

Carol sighed awkwardly as she apologized, noticing Baaden two stands away from her. His purple skin was poorly concealed under his green cape, and he looked like a poor deer caught in the crossfire.

She had him!

Carol ran out onto a fluorescent blue fruit display - was it really fruit? - jumping into the human tide, using some of her power to land straight on her victim and tackle him to the ground. Carol thought it looked a lot like the exaggerated scenes from the ridiculous action movies she watched with Maria.

Unfortunately, reality rarely joined fiction and the landing was by no means gracious. She crashed with a thud on her victim, her body becoming painful under the shock as several people began to scream in fear, finally creating some space to move around. If Carol had known, she would have taken a big dive much sooner, even though it was terribly painful.

-« Baaden Xehartrojkly, you are under arrest under the authority of the Dhur Galaxy peace station for illegal trafficking of Flerken! " Carol exclaimed with a victorious smile. "You may remain silent! »

-« You are crazy! »

-« And you, you will soon be in a cell to rot. " The blonde retorted with verve, her smile never leaving her.

She handcuffed Baaden, lifting him up on his feet to see that he had a few scratches on his purple skin where small gravel from Sabik's crumbly stone was lodged. Perhaps jumping on him was not the brightest idea she had had. She had to admit, however, that this slightly dramatic moment was perhaps the only amusing thing about the case of the missing Flerken.

Correction, that had been the worst idea. Stunned, Baaden vomited a strange orange substance on his boots as he seemed a little dizzy from his fall between the ground and Carol. His eyelids - four counted Carol, two in each eye - fluttered very quickly as he cursed after the heroine of the day.

-« Shit ! What a horror! "she complained aloud.

-« Good work Captain Marvel! »

Carol turned with a grimace of deep disgust on her face to see Inspector Groombridge, who oversaw the missing Flerkens investigation and who had asked for his help a few weeks earlier. His yellowish skin glowed in the blazing sun as he smiled with a satisfied smirk from his bluish teeth.

-« You owe me a wash of my suit. "She was still as disgusting as ever. "And next time, make sure the trafficker operates on a planet where the streets are wide and empty. »

Groombridge seemed to contain his laughter as some of his men were already recovering Baaden in front of the horrified population. No doubt that at the rate the murmurs were moving, soon everyone on this damn planet would hear about Captain Marvel, a gliding expert who had been puked on by a criminal.

And it was supposed to be a good day.

-« The Flerkens you saved will immediately be shipped back to their home planet and should cause no more problems in the future. " Groombridge continued, ignoring the remark on the streets.

-« Great. " The blonde confirmed as they walked towards the parking area, the vomit starting to smell strong around her. "These creatures are adorable, but terribly dangerous, it's best that they stay on their planet or at least with masters they've chosen. »

-« I agree with you Captain. " The space policeman nodded with an amused look. "Besides, you have visitors, shortly before you left, two people arrived at the Dhur peace station asking for you. »

Carol frowned intrigued. In three years, her reputation was well established, big business, wars or Flerken's weak stomach traffickers, Captain Marvel had become a reference in the protection of the universe. She received calls for help from the four corners of the universe and tried to deal with them in order of priority - except this time she had a soft spot for the Flerkens - but it was rare for anyone to come to her for help.

-« Any indications? »

-« Judging by their costume, I would say that he works for the Intergalactic Confederation. »

Carol couldn't help but look surprised.

The intergalactic confederation was a kind of United Nations of space, with thousands of planets signing agreements allowing peace in the universe. The Kree hadn't signed it, but they were one of the oldest species in the universe and one of the most advanced, so it was rare that someone would want to wage war on them - they would rather engage them and gloat over the weakness of the other species. Carol knew they had a lot of power over the universe.

-« If it makes you feel any better, I think they want to hire you captain. What you do is not common. »

-« All I did was arrest a smuggler from Flerken. »

-« Today yes, but yesterday you stopped wars and saved people. »

Carol smiles halfway, pride rising in her chest. It was good to be recognized for her work, even when vomit was clinging to her boots.

**Aegis Galaxy, Stellaris Station, Flagship vessel of the Intergalactic Confederation**

The Intergalactic Confederation was on a huge ship in the shape of a dragon as golden and blinding as a sun. Thousands of white-clad soldiers with laser swords at their hips were bustling like ants to protect the universe as monarchs and hierarchical representatives from every planet in the galaxy came and went to solve the problems of the universe.

An astonishing infrastructure to which Carol had been invited under the guise of extreme urgency. Once back at the Dhur police station, she had barely been given time to clean her vomit-filled shoes and give her testimony on the case of the missing Flerken, when she was already being pushed on a space shuttle with this sentence: "The Intergalactic High Chancellor wants to talk to you. »

Thus, she was advancing in this immense vessel flanked by two soldiers mute as graves with a tight and serious face. They had a measured step, like a perfectly calibrated metronome, a straight back, and that look the most faithful soldiers had. Carol had worked on a military base for eight years, so she could perfectly profile the two of them. Perfect morons who only listened to orders, even when they were bad. She sighed as she realized that light years did not always change psyches.

-« What's up?" She ends up saying annoyed after turning into yet another immaculate white corridor. "Why does the High Chancellor want to see me? »

Silence.

Carol rose her eyes to heaven before she sighed.

-« You know, it's very impolite to take someone away without really telling them why you're taking them away, I understood that the High Chancellor wanted to talk to me, that's right, because that's literally all you told me, but I need more. »

One of the two soldiers seemed to react, his jaw clenched in deep irritation. Howard often said that Toni had picked up the bad habit of talking a lot to get something, even if it meant annoying people. Silence didn't suit them.

-« She wants to talk to you about a confidential matter about which we have no information. "The annoyed soldier added in a dry tone.

-« A confidential matter. "Carol repeated with a gleam of curiosity in her eyes. "A secret mission you can't carry out..."

She smiled amused when she saw that she had managed to frustrate the second one.

Fortunately for the two soldiers, they had arrived at the High Chancellor's room, a double door with two modern solid gold handles that contrasted with the medical white of the ship.

The room was circular and comfortable with several soft, bright blue seats and holographic projectors. In the centre was the High Chancellor, a rather small humanoid, or at least smaller than Carol. She had long brown hair with fine curls decorated with white flowers, her face was still young and of rare beauty, while her milky complexion was honoured in a beautiful stellar blue dress and a cape shining like a nebula.

-« Captain Marvel. "She says in a cheerful tone with a smile. "I was waiting for you. »

-« Madam High Chancellor. "Carol greeted awkwardly, she wasn't sure of the customs in force, but respect was a universal thing, thankfully.

-« Padmee will suffice. »

Carol nodded her head with calm respect.

-« You may sit down. " The Chancellor invited by pointing to the blue seats in the room, before showing an exhausted face. "I'm afraid our discussion is rather long. »

-« Your soldiers talked about very secret affairs. »

Padmee confirmed the statements, the expression on her face became serious and her brown eyes shone with anxiety. She triturated the rich tissue of her cape, nervous.

The Chancellor sat down beside Carol, her body tense and stilted as she seemed to be searching for her own words. She looked like Howard's father when he feared the leaks in his business, when problems piled up without any solution. Carol was a soldier, her power lay in her ability to act and in the respect others had for her, but she knew that the compunction on a leader's face was a sign of deep, hidden despair.

-« I wouldn't have had you called otherwise Captain, but I can't decently launch an internal investigation. I would risk alerting not only the Intergalactic Guard, but also the various planets to the problem we face. »

-« So we're on top of the super secret. »

-« Only three people in the whole universe know about it. "The Chancellor supported the Chancellor.

-« Super mega secret. " The Captain confirmed.

-« I would therefore ask you to apply the same degree of discretion during your investigation. »

Carol wanted to point out that she had not yet accepted but held back. If three people in the universe knew about it, it was something she had to investigate.

High Chancellor Padmee turned to her holographic screens, in a cloud of pixels a simple image appeared, which was probably better than any speech the leader of the intergalactic confederation could have had. A man was dead. It was a corpse.

Carol opened her mouth slightly with surprise, convinced that she had already seen this humanoid during one of her journeys. He was a solidly built man in his fifties, with tanned skin and a thick beard and red hair. His nose was abrupt, and his blue eyes extinguished from all life. He was lying on the floor of a desk, his body limply stretched out like a disarticulated doll.

Padmee avoided looking, visibly affected by the vision of the dead man.

-« The High Commander of the Intergalactic Forces Barnard. "She presented with a voice tinged with emotion. "His body. He was found dead in his office yesterday, no trace of attack or poison. His heart simply stopped without any rational explanation. »

-« A heart attack? " Carol said, frowning as the Chancellor nodded her head. "Strange. »

-« Very strange. There is a lot of undetectable poison in the universe and the forensic scientist on the case is incredibly careful to examine the substance, but that is not the weirdest thing. »

The image on the screen changed from a corpse to a symbol.

A sort of bird's head if you tilted your head a little: a circle with a point in the centre and three spades in the upper right. This symbol looked nothing like what Carol had ever seen before, probably an old intergalactic sign of a lost civilization that dated back to before the Kree. Her universal translator had always been effective, yet the device in her pupil translated nothing into English.

The most curious thing, apart from the lack of meaning, is that the symbol had been silk-screened on parchment and then stapled to the victim's chest. The killer wanted to signify that this was a crime and show the remnants of the universe that he was smarter than everyone else. It was a dose of pride that made Carol rose her eyes.

-« Before you ask, there are no prints, no signatures, no witnesses, no video surveillance. »

-« The invisible man. »

-« Who is it?" The Chancellor wondered.

-« It's uhm... " She laughed a little embarrassed. "A story on my planet, not a fact. »

Carol felt a bit stupid, but she would have preferred the invisible man to be a real individual. She rarely investigated real crimes, she stopped wars and villains several meters high, she also prevented the Kree from bullying half of the universe in her spare time. She was not an intergalactic investigator - although she did have one or two missions to her credit-. She hesitated when the hologram disappeared again.

-« If anyone learns that the High Commander of the Intergalactic Forces is dead, dozens of extremely powerful governments will want to start a war, dismantle us and destroy the peace we are protecting. »

-« With one dead person, a war is unleashed throughout the universe. " Carol summed up by pursing her lips. "High Chancellor Padmee, with all due respect, I don't think I'm really qualified to investigate this sort of thing..."

-« Yet you are my best option. »

Carol looked pensive, weighing the pros and cons. She knew she had to accept, she couldn't fight for the peace of the universe and refuse a murder investigation that compromised her, and at the same time, Carol wasn't a detective. She closed her eyes, she could try, but it wouldn't be enough.

Padmee looked at her with hope, waiting for her answer in an almost religious silence. Her face was closed, but Carol could feel all that was expected of her.

-« I've never investigated a murder, especially one so secret. "Carol nibbled her lower lip as her troubled face read. "I don't want a war to break out, and I will look into it. »

Relief was read on the features of the High Chancellor and a sincere smile barred Padmee's face. There was little more information than she had already shown her. High Commander Barnard had been found in his office lying on the floor, dead with the symbol stapled to his chest. A second had found him and alerted the Chancellor and the affair was quickly hushed up so as not to worry anyone, at present it was the famous second in command, Becklin, who oversaw intergalactic armies.

-« Thank you, Captain Marvel. The whole universe is grateful to you. »

Carol doubted for a moment as she felt a weight settling in the hollow of her shoulders. To support it, she would have to go beyond her limits again. A faint smile settled on her face, probably betraying her doubt as her mind worked quickly, trying to find out how she could start, trying to find out who might have heard rumours.

-« Are you sure you have no other information? " Carol asked again.

-« Unfortunately, not. If we discover anything, we will keep you informed Captain. "Padmee took the liberty of showing an exhausted mine. "We'll do everything we can to help you, but peace is a brittle thing, and we also have a lot of work to do here, in addition to this disaster. »

Carol nodded her head, perfectly aware of the problems of the universe. Wars were more violent and devastating.

She had seen it with her own eyes, the more time passed, the greater the challenges of peace is. Carol heard rumours and sometimes realised that they were true. A few months earlier, during one of her missions, she had discovered a planet where half of its civilization had been decimated by a monster nicknamed the Mad Titan. An immortal and terribly dangerous being who was looking for even more dangerous artifacts. Sometimes it was more disturbing murmurs that came from the depths of the universe, about ancient myths lost from memory that would begin to be reborn.

-« I don't know how to thank you yet, Captain Marvel. »

-« You don't have to thank me, it's my job. »

Once her face was out of the High Chancellor's sight, Carol grimaced, not sure if she could succeed in investigating the murder, but at the same time, in her chest, a flame was born. That of the Danvers-Stark's fierce determination, the one that showed her firm intention not to let the universe plunge into chaos without a fight first.

**Nashira Galaxy, Hadeus Crane's Inn, Carol Danvers' favourite bar**

Carol swirled her alcohol in her cup. She could hear the loud laughter and the usual hustle and bustle of Hadeus' inn. The main source of noise was a group of people arguing about a card game and its rules in almost animal-like growls. One of them was half, in fact, with his snout instead of his nose and the horns escaping from his huge mouth.

It could have been particularly entertaining if Carol wasn't so nervous and eager for information.

She sighed deeply as she desperately searched for her best contact. He should be here soon, at least she hoped he would be.

-« Don't make that face Marv', you know Boyajian, he lives in another space time zone." Hadeus said to her while he was at the bar.

-« I know, but this time it's really important. "Carol finishes her drink in a quick sip. "He could try. »

Hadeus shrugged his shoulders.

Boyajian was a friend that Carol had made in her early days as Captain Marvel. He was a smuggler who usually stole rich spaceships. At first, she was tempted to arrest him, but she had discovered that he was giving the poor guy a kind of space robin. He travelled extensively to the four corners of the universe, knowing all the gossip there was to know. In exchange for wealth, he took a universal currency that could never be stolen: knowledge.

When they first met, he and Carol had evacuated an inhabited planet that was orbiting a sun that was turning into a supernova, about to raze a galaxy to the ground. They had managed to escape in time, and had become friends, hanging out together in the notoriously filthy Hadeus Crane's inn.

-« Can I have another drink? "Carol ends up asking in a weary tone.

-« Nope. "Hadeus smiles greatly with his most innocent look. "Otherwise, it would be hypocritical, you're on an important enough mission, just enough to annoy you with Boyajian's perpetual tardiness, so you must have a clear head. »

-« Why are we friends?"

-« Am I one of the voices in your mind that prevents you from doing evil? »

-« You suck. »

Hadeus laughs out loud before heading towards a customer. The owner of the inn was different from Boyajian or her, he was quite jovial, and far from being a hero, enjoying his life as a barman and innkeeper in a filthy building.

Once upon a time, he lived on a planet divided into two species, a people of the sky and a people of the earth who had been at war with each other for centuries, he who was supposed to fight with honour but he had fled to live the life he wished to build for himself.

Carol knew that sometimes he regretted it and felt cowardly, especially when he looked at his wings on his back, a pale red plumage streaked with gold, but he was happy in his inn. He was a good friend to Carol and always had good advice.

-« I'm here! I'm here! I'm not late! " A singing voice cried as he entered the bar.

Boyajian appeared as a kind of unexpected meteor. His bright pink hair was scruffy, while his reptile-like green eyes still shone with his usual face. The customers turned to him with an annoyed look, displeased that this skinny boy, whose skin was sometimes covered with green scales, was disturbing their drunkenness.

-"It was about time. "Hadeus mocked Hadeus with an amused sniff. "Marv' was just beginning to lose her patience. »

-« But I'm not late? "He showed his handle where four watches were shining, none of them at the same time.

The barman and the heroine looked at each other to see if they should comment. Lacking a good heart and a lot of knowledge, Boyajian was very slightly simple-minded. A sort of paradoxical mixture that made his charm.

-« Go and sit down, I'll bring you a drink. "Hadeus sighed simply before going back to his business.

Boyajian made a slight confused pout before sitting next to Carol at the bar, sinking into one of the comfortable leather-eliminated seats. The half-reptilian couldn't stay still, nervous enough as always, tapping nervously on the wooded counter surface. At the beginning of their friendship, Carol was sure he was intimidated by her, until she discovered he couldn't hold still. 

He smiled at her, probably trying to break the serious look on the blonde's face.

-« What's up? Why did you want to see me, Marv'? Is it for a common mission? Do you need my help?"

-« I need information. "Carol said in a low voice so that we wouldn't hear her. "Do you have any information about a large-scale crime that may have affected the Intergalactic Confederation? »

-"There was a crime at the conference... " He began to exclaim throughout the bar.

Carol placed her hand over the mouth of the half-reptilian boy, attracting some curious and suspicious glances.

Boyajian was really cunning when it came to stealing from others, really brave when it came to standing up for the weakest, but it seemed that all his qualities that made him the best thief and smuggler in the universe suddenly disappeared when he was no longer in the line of duty.

-« Yes. " Carol finally said as she freed her mouth. "And it has to be a secret, so you can't shout it out in the middle of the inn. »

He scratched his head, sheepishly.

-« I've heard nothing like that. There are only rumours about the mob though, it's getting restless, the big guys are starting to get scared of a few things. »

-« Of what?"

Boyajian shrugged his shoulders as he looked around, suddenly more suspicious of who might be listening to him. His face changed, his eyes shone with a conspiratorial rather than facetious glow, his smile faded as his jaw muscles tightened. He had just gone into "thief mode".

-« I would listen, but I know where you can get information. "He took a deep breath, approaching her ear as if to tell her a secret. "If what happened has something to do with the underworld, you should be able to get information in the Asuia Galaxy. »

Carol nodded her head.

The Asuia galaxy was a place where Boyajian was known to the authorities as a talented thief, it was an extraordinarily rich galaxy that indulged in rare opulence and vanity. Next to the Asuians, the Starks appeared to the poor who could hardly afford a loaf of bread.

-"There is a reception. " He continued in a lower tone. "Great for stealing all kinds of stuff, unfortunately my head's all over the news so I couldn't go flying..."

-« But? "She cut off her ramblings.

-« But in this reception, there is all the intergalactic mob. "His tone was definitely that of a thief. "Including Steiner, the most dangerous of them all, probably the most feared criminal in the universe. If crimes...if anything seriously illegal that compromises the security of the universe has happened, you're bound to find information during this evening. »

Boyajian again looked around him as if he was being watched by the police. Carol was less comfortable with the idea of investigating than before, she had never been to a mob party before, but she knew a thing or two about the Stark and the movies she had seen. She would probably have to wear a dress, pretend to be an idiot and fight for information. A wonderful evening ahead.

-« Where?"

-« The planet Joya. One of the richest men in the universe lives here: Ozwald Ozwald. Every year he organizes a reception for three days and three nights and all his valuables are taken out and are worth several thousand... "

-« How do you get in? »

-« I have contacts, people who owe me a favour. "Boyajian smiles as he runs a hand through his pink hair, proud of himself. "But only if you bring me an awfully expensive trinket. »

Carol found it hard to hold back a smile. Of course, he would ask her to steal something. Sometimes she wondered what would happen if she explained her origins to Boyajian, he knew little about her, the broad outlines. He had no idea that she came from the planet they all called Midgard, let alone that she was a mother - his biggest secret in the universe-. She doubted he was judging her, but if he knew she was best friends/co-parent with the second richest man in Midgard, she would hear about it for decades.

-« I promise, when I get chased by the whole underworld when they unmask me, I won't forget to get a gold statuette or something like that. »

-« Several if you can, but one is good enough. »

Boyajian laughs before reaching out his hand to seal their pact like the good negotiator he was. 

Just as their fingers were about to touch, Hadeus placed Boyajian's drink in front of them with a thud. Carol burst out laughing when her pink-haired friend jumped so suddenly that he fell to the floor and knocked the stool over. He looked like he used to, a bit dumb and pensive.

-« Hey! Watch out for the furniture! " Hadeus exclaimed with a laugh. "This is a respectable establishment. »

-« You have no right to scare me like that! "Boyajian defended himself before getting a sulky pout. "Do you know that I could die of a heart attack? I'm more important than your furniture too. »

Carol smiles softly before listening to Hadeus and Boyajian's argument with a distracted ear.

Its objectives were now clear. She had to get to Joya and find out as quickly as possible who had killed High Commander Barnard.

The blonde took a quick look at her watch, a midgardien model, which was all the more banal. The battery was probably even going to give out, but it kept her connected to the house. It was November there, Toni was probably struggling to keep observing the stars on the roof until late at night. Howard would bemoan this habit whenever she caught a cold. 

Imagining them looking at the universe made her sad, if they knew what was going on beyond the sky lit by the stars.

Carol couldn't allow a war in the universe to break out, she couldn't afford to put them in danger, she had to find an answer and quickly.


	2. Step 2 - Find some information

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Carol go to the Ozwald Ozwald's party on Joya to interrogate Steiner, the worst criminal of the universe.

**Asuia Galaxy, Joya, Planet of one Thousand and one jewels**

Carol had only been good at school for two reasons: To become a pilot and to prove all the men who thought women were vain that they were wrong. So, she was not a genius like her daughter or her best friend, but she was far from being an idiot. Yet as she watched the planet Joya and the people that made it up swirl around her, she thought about how stupid she was.

Joya was not just an awfully rich planet; it was a gangster's paradise.

Carol was convinced that she had already seen the faces of most of the people rushing to Ozwald Ozwald's party. They were plastered in all the peace stations, elusive criminals who had committed atrocious crimes at the bosom of the universe. They were all too clever, too vicious, legally untouchable while one element always ended up protecting them. Dangerous criminal geniuses that Carol had promised herself one day or another to put in jail.

But for the time being, she had to pose as a rich mercenary who coldly slit her victims' throats and bore the sweet name of Lady Antonia.

The Captain walked through the streets of capital Esmerald with her jaw clenched, her power threatening to explode around her as she contained her rage. Her thirst for justice and her impulsiveness being a terribly dangerous cocktail in this dark place made up by the beauty of a party. The whole planet was a kind of masquerade, animated by music and dance in outrageous and vibrant colours.

The highlight of the show was in the Emerald Palace of Ozwald Ozwald, which overlooked and shone like a jewel above a crown. Her invitation was in her little golden pouch, a very clever trick from Boyajian, she had to admit. He had an incredibly good touch.

\- “Invitation? " A canine-like creature, three times Carol's size, growled.

\- “Here it is. “

She held it with a kind of grace borrowed from Maria Stark. Her “mother-in-law” during her lifetime was a reference in terms of worldliness and was able to put on a mask of indifference and coldness along with her pearls and diamonds. She was probably a dangerous woman in her own way, she possessed a strange and unique power that she and women like Peggy did not have: the glamour.

\- “Put on your mask. " The guard advised her.

Carol entered the property surrounded by a lovely garden with plants that were as striking as the rest of the planet. Fireworks were fired from all sides, shining like jewels in bright colours, the dark sky was dressed in vibrant colour while the beauty of the stars was concealed by ridiculous sparklers.

\- “You can do it, Danvers. "She encouraged herself by taking a deep breath. "You have to practice; didn't Howard say something about Toni's Debutante Ball? Yes, he did. It is just a rehearsal, with a lot of criminals. “

Carol walked forward looking around her, trying to recognise faces through the masks the guests were wearing.

Impossible.

The inhabitants of Joya were a strange society with scandalous codes. Boyajian had warned her by handing the invitation, extravagance was an art of living. Beyond the masks, they were other costumes: skins dyed in extravagant colours that did not even exist on Midgard, nails like sharp claws, outrageous surgery, tattoos on all parts of the body and in the least extreme cases bright wigs and make-up.

Carol stepped into this strange crowd, as she was being congratulated for reasons she could barely hear, the music covered both the niceties and the gossip of criminals. Her appearance was dissected by all present as if to gauge her legitimacy to be present.

-"You look lovely. " A sweet voice said behind her ear.

Carol would have been tempted to use her power to push away the warm body too close to hers and was content to turn around with a cold face and murderous eyes. The man in front of her was known to the intergalactic services and to herself: Yannus. A man bathed in dark drugs capable of legumising a person by inhalation, plunging him into a world created by the mind alone.

\- “I am not interested. "she snapped in a harsh tone. "I'm already accompanied.”

A lie.

However, the man retreated, devouring her with his eyes. Carol felt a powerful nausea.

The Captain had tried to adapt to the described standards as best she could, her hair was loose, silky blonde curls held by golden barrettes. Her skin was covered with a thin layer of glitter, making her shine like a star as she wore a long satin dress made of gold cloth. Her costume was cleverly concealed in a bracelet thanks to nanotechnology.

\- “Let’s find Steiner. " She mumbled to herself as she sliced through the crowd.

Luckily, Steiner did not seem to have melted into the dismaying singularity of the evening. He was swirling a woman in the main ballroom. He wore nothing but a black suit flattering his black skin and forget-me-not blue eyes.

And as Carol approached...

\- “You can't pay attention vile creature. “

\- “Pay attention? You literally shoved me. " Carol fulminated with verve.

A man, a humanoid was in front of her, wearing a black, gold, and green suit giving the individual the appearance of a prince. His face was half hidden behind a mask that ended with two prominent golden horns. He did not seem to have done in embellishments either, although the glow of his green eyes was supernatural enough to make her wonder whether she was wearing contact lenses.

\- “I could stab you for that. “

Carol could not help but laugh at the absurdity of his remarks, hoping she had misheard with all the surrounding music.

\- “Excuse me, but this place is literally a gangster’s paradise, and you are not part of the...familiar underworld landscape, so I wouldn't worry about getting stabbed by you. “

Carol caught the glimmer of a blade hidden in the sleeve of his suit, it seemed as if he had moved his arm precisely so that he could see it, to intimidate her.

\- “Maybe I'm smarter than this bunch of fools. "The man in front of her coldly retorted. "And above all, smarter than you, do you know how impolite it is to talk about people's jobs in this kind of social event... one would think you were not part of this world. “

Carol's opponent's smile became carnivorous. He reminded her a little of Commander Cypher when he had an overpowering argument to stop Carol from flying to the base, the same tight jawline and eyes shining with a vicious glow. The blonde usually raised her chin, refusing to be intimidated.

\- “Whether I am part of this world or not, I am not one of the people you wish to have as your enemy, so I advise you to put away that dagger and your smug look before I put you down myself. "Carol attacked him, taking a step forward to provoke him.

\- “Nor am I a person you wish you had as an enemy. "His tone was that of a snake about to spit out its venom, dangerous and unpredictable.

Carol sensed something else in the air, she knew it from her time as Vers and had only come across it shortly after becoming Captain Marvel: magic. She tried to appear stoic, trying to erase violet eyes and brown hair from her mind, ozone-laden magic, and a charming smile full of the secrets of the universe. This was not the time to think about _her._

\- “If I see you again, I'll kill you. " The man promised.

And he disappeared into the crowd as if by magic. Carol wanted to believe there was some of that.

She took a few seconds to regain her composure, shaking her head a little, erasing the memory deep inside her head. If there was one person in the whole universe capable of making her lose her strength, it was _her_. And _she_ seemed inclined to do so even from a distance.

\- “A drink, miss? “

Carol grabbed a blue drink, the space champagne she understood, before she was stoic enough to look in the direction Steiner was before he met the man with the dagger.

\- “Shit. "She was pessimistic.

Steiner had disappeared and the track was full of men and women with thick make-up and frilly outfits.

\- “Maybe it's me who will kill him if I run into him again. "She mumbled to herself with a dark look.

Carol wondered how Maria Stark could have enjoyed the social things so much during her lifetime. The men talked crudely about dark subjects, too intoxicated with alcohol. It was difficult to get real information out of them, they were too busy with ego contests, bragging about imaginary feats or talking about their wives, most of them giving highly misogynistic advice to keep her happy.

The more intelligent men would discreetly retire to locked lounges to discuss, and sometimes to debate physically - to remain polite -. Carol had caught three men during a passionate argument when she was convinced that she had seen Steiner again.

Women were more willing to give real useful information than men. She would gather in groups like wolves or hyenas with a glass of champagne from space - a neon blue drink with purple bubbles that was served in twisted flutes-.

Many of them knew about the murder of High Commander Barnard, or at least they had heard rumours: "Did you hear? They say that a high dignitary of the intergalactic confederation has been murdered".

\- “If you ask me, a lot of high dignitaries are going to die soon. " Carol heard not far from her. "Which is really good for all of us, isn't it, ladies?”

The voice came from a small group of women more elegant than the others. The one who spoke wore a magnificent silver dress that flattered her icy blue skin, her face was of rare beauty, aristocratic features, a perfect haughtiness, and a look that was both nonchalant and full of power. She gracefully carried her glass to her lips and every gesture, or every facial expression was carefully calculated.

\- “Of course, it is for you Bellona. " A round woman confirmed in a yellow dress with a conspiratorial air. "This means you'll finally be able to reclaim the throne and the confederation will be too busy to worry about it. “

\- “I can get it back any way I want, but this...disastrous murder extravaganza will allow me to defend my positions in a very legal way. " The smile on that Bellona was that of a shark.

\- “But did you have anything to do with it? “

Carol swore that the woman who asked the question was her favourite person at that damned party. She sincerely hoped that the woman would answer yes, she would have a name, a face and above all, a culprit.

Her case would be settled very quickly, and the universe would be saved if Bellona were responsible.

\- “I would like to. "She replied with a certain bitterness, as if the idea of succeeding in killing a high dignitary was an exhilarating pleasure. "Really, but I'm afraid it's not my doing. “

\- “And you know who has achieved this feat? " The same woman asked.

Bellona had a mysterious smile before showing the other women something on her wrist. They exclaimed, in a burst of "oh" and "ah" that made Carol regret not being closer. Their gaze was conspiratorial, far more dangerous than any of her men who were in the throes of alcohol and who were vainly trying to find out who had the longest.

\- “Is that really the...? “

\- “Yes, but not so loud...Isn't it supposed to be a big secret?" Bellona laughed with a satisfied look. "By the time the morons of the intergalactic confederation understand what is attacking them, the universe will be in the palm of our hand and the lower and even higher species will kneel before us. »

\- “Even the Kree? " The woman wondered in the yellow dress.

Carol had to admit she had a point. The Kree do not kneel to anyone, they would rather fight and die than admit that there is anything superior to them, Carol was perhaps the only exception made to this because he knew the extent of her power and feared it, and she is a part Kree too. Furthermore, Carol really had the means to bring down their empire, more than anyone else in the galaxy had ever had.

\- “This Captain Marvel... " Carol had never heard her name spat out with so much venom. "She keeps them on a leash for us. “

\- “The kind of heroin that stopped the war between Mirach and Adhafera? "asked another. "There are many rumours about her..."

\- “If she is able to stand up to the Kree civilisation... "

\- “I doubt that those who will hand the universe to us on a silver platter will see it as a threat, an annoying gnat at most. “

Carol almost took offence; she was powerful enough to stand up to the Kree as the woman in the yellow dress had pointed out. If she knew anything about them it was that they were one of the most dangerous and advanced civilisations in the galaxy, belligerent certainly, and undoubtedly first-class troublemakers, but they were not underestimated by anyone. Which made her extremely dangerous herself, especially since she was alone.

\- “Was it them who murdered Princess Caroli of Khiome? I received a hologram before I left home, she would have been murdered in her palace, her heart stopped beating and nobody knows who did it. They accuse the... "

Carol stopped listening. Partly because anger made her blood pulsing through her veins, another murder. Another innocent person dead and in a position of power. So, there was a profile, people in power - unfortunately, there were thousands of them in the universe - she would have to refine her search.

But above all she stopped listening because Steiner was back in her field of vision.

For a criminal, he was very suspicious. Not because he probably had the blood of hundreds of thousands of people on his hands, but because he looked like a spy animal, more like a prey than a hunter.

He looked around him with paranoia.

Strange.

Carol began to walk towards him, staying at a safe distance, trying to find out from the crowd what could terrify him. Unfortunately, there were no suspicious individuals, or at least they all were. They all seemed to be whispering, all conspiring in some way, as if the world had come to an end to talk about crime and domination of the universe.

Was it like that at Maria Stark's parties?

To some extent, she suspected that there had a lot of business talk about market dominance, but probably not of the whole universe, and that it should not involve intergalactic crimes.

Steiner walked into one of the corridors as Carol quickened her pace, her heels slamming against the emerald ground. The sound was muffled by the sounds of conversation and music as laughter and fireworks exploded from outside.

The corridors were a place of peace and silence. Noise free arteries like infinite labyrinths made of emeralds and decorated in an opulent rococo style that was absolutely unpleasant to the eye. She lost sight of Steiner at the end of three corridors, irritating her deeply.

Her power tickled her; her fingers surrounded by a light golden mist glittering with blue, pure luminous energy.

A dark form caught Carol's attention at the bend of her seventh corridor. She squinted her eyes slightly before recognising the silvery sheen of a weapon, especially a dagger. The blonde dodged quickly and skilfully as her assailant revealed himself.

The man with supernatural green eyes.

\- “Didn’t I say that I would kill you the next time I saw you? " The voice mocked with a cruel grin.

\- “Get out. " Carol thundered raising her hand to him. "I'm chasing one individual and I'd prefer not to encase another in an emerald wall. »

The man laughs out loud as if it were a particularly distracting joke as he twirls his blade between his long, nimble fingers. Around him rose an aura of chaos as he looked as if he were really about to start a fight in the middle of the corridor.

Carol sighed before sending a photon explosion towards him, hoping he would crash into a wall and let her pass. But he blocked the attack with a warrior's agility, a magic shield exploded on contact with his power as his opponent seemed curious about her. A kind of greed for research that the little geniuses all had. Toni facing her powers or Howard facing the tesseract.

\- “You attacked me. “

\- “You threatened me. " Carol burst her power around her, surrounding her with a golden aura that glowed like a star, her eyes shining with a rare burst of power. "And as I said I am in a hurry, so get out of my way, second warning, there will be no third. “

\- “I wouldn't let myself be attacked by some kind of cheap witch. "The man was cruelly retaliated. "Not me, Prince Loki of Asgard. »

Carol frowned as his name seemed like a distant memory that tinted her mind unless it was the name of the planet.

Loki was probably not as powerful as she was - there was little that could match the energy of the speed light engine in the universe and since she had absorbed everything, there was little that could match her-. But she had to admit that she was quite impressed by the cloud of magic that surrounded him.

Emerald green and black, as menacing as a storm cloud as magic swirled around them like electricity.

A dozen daggers suddenly converged on Carol, they melted like snow in the sun before they could enter Carol's living space, warmed by her own power, a little variation she had enjoyed very much. And she attacked.

It was rather rough, rawer, and less subtle than what the Kree had taught her. Her power burst forth in the corridor, confronting bitter failures while the man in front of her was more a soldier than a prince, he was quite good at attack and dodge, succeeding where many failed: overcoming the difference in raw power through cunning. Toni had warned her with a sulky pout that it was like in the comics she liked to read, even if she did not come across anyone more powerful than her, she could come across someone smarter.

\- “Shit. " Carol cursed when a blade slashed her arm.

A splash of blue blood fell to the ground as Prince Loki, slightly out of breath, stood in front of her again, a little more dishevelled but certainly not touching.

\- “A Kree then." The man said annoyed, this time giving her a real look of hatred. "Your infamous race..."

-” I am not a Kree! "Carol became enraged, her power doubling in power with her emotions close to wrath. "I will never be a Kree! I am from Midgard. “

\- “Midgard? "And he laughs sour. "Midgardians are red-blooded, Kree are blue-blooded and you fight like them, you're part of that band of space parasites..."

\- “I am not a Kree! "Carol repeated louder. "So, fuck you, your majesty. »

She used her power so quickly that he could not dodge it, flying against one of the emerald walls. Her rage blinded her enough to make her want to punch him until he admitted that she was not a Kree and would never be one.

Vers was dead.

She was Carol Danvers, Captain Marvel. Pilot then heroine of the universe. She was the best friend of Maria Rambeau and Howard Stark Jr. She was the mother of Toni Stark, a little genius who would probably change the universe. She was not a fucking Kree!

Loki got up quickly, he used his magic to move swiftly, or at least she was under the illusion of doing so, and he struck her violently in the abdomen, causing her to stagger.

\- “You don't even realise what you're doing damn midgardian ants! "He pestered. "You're threatening an Asgard investigation, and the arrest of Steiner. “

\- “Steiner’s arrest. "She repeated, blocking one of his attacks, renouncing the use of her powers. "I'm here to question him about a series of murders. “

\- “Well, it would seem that we are determined to put obstacles in the way of each other. “

Carol meditated on the word, kicking him in the flank and dodging a dagger attack -certainly, a fan of close combat-.

\- “And we prefer to fight rather than team up to apprehend the person we both want to have under our thumb. “

\- “Rather suffer the wrath of Odin than team up with a Midgardian. “

Carol pushed him away using another photon explosion in anger. There was so much disdain in her Midgardian denomination that she wanted to shout out to him what a gift her species was capable of. Of all the species in the galaxy, they were the fastest growing and most incredible.

\- “A Midgardian capable of bringing down a prince of Asgard. " She supports as she watches him get up. "I'm not going to stay and fight you when I have more important things to do like catching Steiner and making him talk. »

Loki seemed to be struggling internally as to whether he should take revenge for Carol's repeated affronts or hunt down Steiner.

He sighted before he used a tracing spell, Carol had seen one or two in action as he passed by, a violent and unpleasant memory that made her want to scratch her skin until it faded from her mind.

Loki seemed to be about to stab her at every moment, as if he were a devil in a box who could decide to stick her at any moment. Carol was more than aware of this, the next in line, staying behind him enough not to fear being stabbed in the back and watching the magic in the air for the slightest trace of illusion. Her experience with _her_ had at least taught her that.

\- “What do you want at Steiner? "The Prince of Asgard finally said, his tone was that of a constant and underlying threat.

\- “I could turn it over. He has information about an intergalactic investigation. »

-« My answer would not be quite different from yours then. »

\- “It’s hard to think that you could want good for the galaxy knowing that you threaten to stab the people you meet. " Carol said with a grin.

-« Hard to believe I haven't killed you yet. »

-« A sociopathic prince to save the universe. That is not the title of a good story, you know, your majesty. »

She spat out her title of nobility in anger as the spell of location had led them to a double door made of solid gold.

Ozwald Ozwald really seemed to like to show off his wealth, to expose it for all to see while whole galaxies were dying at the end and could use half of his money to live for a century and boost economy.

Loki opened the door.

Neither of them had expected the show they discovered.

-"He is dead. “

\- “Very dead. " Carol confirmed.

\- “Why didn't you let yourself be killed? I could have found him before he became a corpse. “

\- “Why do you want to murder people who push you around? Simple answer, you are a sociopathic prince. “

Steiner's body was in the middle of the room and Carol did not need to be a forensic scientist to know what had killed him, his heart had stopped, and the person had even bothered to leave her business card. A strange silkscreen prints with the same symbol as on Barnard.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi !  
> I hope you liked this chapter ! I write it like three times 'cause I was a bit lost and confuse about how writing Loki. Carol, it's pretty easy, she's an independant badass who take no shit from anyone and I decide to make her Kree hybridation as a soft spot.   
> Next time, it's pure Carol & Loki investigation !


	3. Step 3 - Find a partner who doesn't threaten to stab you

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Carol and Loki share information on their respective investigations.

**Asuia Galaxy, Peace Commission, a paradise of judicial incompetence**

\- “Why were you looking for Steiner?”

Carol Danvers had been in prison twice in her life.

The first time, she was seventeen, she had been drinking a lot, and drunkenness on the public highway - especially when you are a minor - is the best way to spend the night in an uncomfortable cell in a police station.

The second time, she was twenty-four years old, she had beaten up an overly enterprising man in a bar and Howard had bailed her out with an amused look on his face. Toni was barely two years old at the time, but she had vowed to hit any man who did not understand the terribly simple word "no", so that her daughter would never have to experience that.

And today, after a disastrous social evening on an extravagant planet, surrounded by criminals of the worst kind and in a dress, she went back to prison. And not without having the worst cell neighbour in history. The sociopathic prince who had tried to kill her on that same social evening, even though they seemed to have the same goal. A goal that they had failed miserably to achieve.

The person they wished to interview was dead. This was good news for the universe, but awfully bad for them.

\- “Answer first.” Carol repeated in a weary tone, staring at the white ceiling.

\- “It's ridiculous, it's up to you to answer, abominable blue-blooded Midgardian.” He retorted with a haughty sniff.

Carol really wanted to escape, it would not take long, just two minutes, and she could handle any peacekeepers who dared to stand in her way with childlike ease. Unfortunately, she worked for the Intergalactic Confederation, and she was not stupid, it would damage their reputation if one of the people they hired fled like a criminal.

\- “Why do you stay in this cell? You can run away with your tricks.”

\- “Seidr.” He corrected. “But I can't blame an inferior species for ignoring this fact, it's already impressive that you have a constructed discourse.”

Carol looked up to heaven, feeling her power itch. She dreamed of being able to punch him against a wall again, but that would not happen without him retaliating, again that would stand out like a sore thumb, so she just imagined it staring at the white lacquered ceiling of her little cell.

\- “Well, let's change the question then.” He looked amused, mean-spirited. “How can a Midgardian ant be blue-blooded?”

\- “What's your problem with Midgard? “Carol replied, simply exceeded.

\- “It's an inferior species, that's all.”

\- “You failed to stab an individual of an inferior race, that doesn't make you very remarkable.” She retorted annoyingly.

\- “Indeed, I am a god in your culture.” He smiles wittily, his green eyes sparkling with pettiness.

\- “A god?” Carol laughs out loud. “Amazing, I've never heard of a god Loki of Asga...”

Scandinavian Mythology. Carol grinned as she realised that she had heard of him before. It was a vague memory, as if lost in the depths of her mind and surrounded by a semi-opaque veil. Maria Stark stood in the living room, observing her new antiques, acquisitions that she kept for a while before selling them at auction for the foundation she was responsible for.

Toni was present that day, she was barely four years old, dressed in her age-old tutu, looking attentively - as if she were looking at a mechanism - at a painted vase. It represented the Nordic pantheon, all the Scandinavian gods that Carol don’t give a hoot. Toni had been fascinated by listening to her grandmother, and although she was curious about everything, it was the first time her sweet daughter had been so captivated by something that had no appeal to technology.

\- “Let me guess, you're the God of assholes?”

Loki grimaced, his features pinched.

\- “I am the god of lies, malice, treachery and evil.” He seemed deeply amused by the denomination, while Carol was hardly surprised by it. “Although I think it was a joke of Volstagg's, it turned against him, I appreciate the fear I inspire to your kind.”

\- “To the past tense.” Carol said. "No one knows who you are, we tend to remember Thor and the Valkyries more.”

Anger drew Loki's features, a kind of corrosive jealousy, not that the blonde felt threatened by the Nordic god, she just raised an eyebrow, happy to have found a sore spot. Arrogant people hated to be forgotten or to face being passed over by someone they thought was less important, Carol hated to admit it, but in a way, Loki reminded her a little of Toni whose arrogance was closely watched by her father and herself.

\- “Why were you looking for Steiner?” His tone was again incisive and dangerous. “Before I decided to stab you and succeed this time.”

\- “So we're not talking about Midgard anymore?” Carol sniffed maliciously. “I thought it was a subject that interested your Majesty. A blue-blooded Midgardian ant who is able to stand up to you and who has shown you that you have been completely forgotten by my kind.”

Loki used his magic, a slight change in the air made itself felt, like invisible electricity running along the fabric of reality. Standing in Carol's cell, he was probably trying to look intimidating, he was hostile, holding a dagger and with a crooked face, genuinely determined to kill her if he didn't get the information he wanted.

Once again Carol was neither impressed nor even surprised, her expression barely changing as she stared at him with her golden eyes. If he attacked, she could handle him perfectly, whether he was a sociopathic prince, a god or a simple magician, Carol remained more powerful than him, and she knew it. She wouldn't be disturbed by so little.

\- “Good. I surrender.” She sighed with deep weariness, keeping an almost lax attitude. “Not because I'm afraid of your pointy little toy, but because I've managed to get you off your dummy pedestal. I wanted to question Steiner about a series of murders. “

\- “And what would an intergalactic criminal know about petty crime?” He laughed without losing his aggressive appearance.

\- “The killer was a direct threat to his position and business within the international mob, and it would appear that he was killed by the one I am looking for. Cardiac arrest by undetectable poison, no witnesses, no clues and this strange symbol silk-screened on the victim's chest.”

\- “A war of position.” Loki put away his weapon, frowning, his interest visibly pricked. “Who are the other victims? “

\- “A member of the intergalactic confederation and Princess Caroli of Khiome.”

\- “Discord.”

\- “Pardon?”

\- “Your murderer seeks to sow discord within the universe. Our investigations are most certainly connected. And the poison is obtained from a flower called the Desirée of Silver. “

\- “The Desirée of Silver?”

Loki seemed to be deeply annoyed, probably believing that everyone in the universe was supposed to know what the Desirée of Silver is. Carol nodded her head to get him to talk.

\- “The Desirée of Silver is an extremely rare plant that only grows in Nymphidia gardens on planet Olympus. It was stolen three days ago, and my people are accused by the Olympians of stealing it, if I want to avoid a deadly war, I must find out who is responsible. “

Carol remained mindful of Loki's words. A robbery, then murders. She stared at the ceiling again in search of an answer. Why put the blame on the Asgard? Carol almost laughed, if everyone in Asgard was like Loki, the answer was obvious enough. He was unbearable and haughty.

However, this flight was a good lead. If she found the thief or at least the motive for the theft, she would have more information about the murders.

This time Carol became perplexed. She was brilliant and powerful, but she’s still unfitted for the job of intergalactic investigator. Her last few assignments of this type were fairly easy, less convoluted and certainly had less at stake. She felt like she was in an Agatha Christie novel, but it wasn't a story but a reality, and reality had consequences.

\- “What is ridiculous is that there are much simpler ways than the Desirée of Silver to poison someone.” Loki analysed. “I sincerely thought the person would use its primary function.”

\- “Which is?”

\- “It's a very powerful opiate that can suggest an order, a reality, a wish to a person indefinitely.””

\- “And why accuse the Asgardians of stealing the Desirée of Silver?”

Loki looked an angry, pensive look on his face as he began to walk into Carol's cell as if it had always been his.

\- “The Olympians and the Asgardians have an ancient rivalry, as old as the universe. Midgard was once inhabited by both us and them. The Intergalactic Confederation had demanded that the planet be under the protection of one of the two species, that was played out in an arena and Asgard to win. The Olympians still feel it badly.”

Carol raised a sceptical eyebrow. Where were the Asgardians when the Kree fleet had arrived to attack her planet? She was the one who had stood in front of the ships, alone. No Thor. No Valkyrie. Least of all Loki and his silver daggers.

\- “Did your planet also have disputes with Khiome?” Carol asked, preferring not to answer.

Loki stopped walking and looked at her tortuously. He thought for a few moments.

\- “Asgard and Khiome have liabilities. Centuries ago, even before the birth of Thor and the prosperity of the nine kingdoms, Odin, my father would have stolen the treasures of Khiometia. This is most certainly a lie, but Asgard has always been accused of this crime.”

\- “Does your people have many enemies?”

Loki had a mocking grin as he looked at Carol as if she were a child. She wrinkled her eyes menacingly, leaving her power rippling around her in a golden and blue glow.

\- “We are one of the oldest species in the Universe, our list of enemies is so long that it would probably take a century to write it down. Not as long as the Kree's, though.”

\- “I think it's one of your enemies who is going on the offensive, by killing Steiner and the member of the Intergalactic Confederation, it creates discord, a diversion, it's a smokescreen. The underworld will fight for control, the Confederation will have to regulate this while fearing a new attack. And all the planets that have a history with Asgard are going to line up to wage war on you.”

\- “Wonderful.” Loki grinded with deep irritation. “I guess the only lead I really have is this mysterious symbol...”

\- “It is not listed in the database of the Intergalactic Confederation, nor in that of the Kree...”.

Loki raised an eyebrow, not seeming to be shaken by the news. He came out of Carol's cell, finding himself at the other end of the Plexiglas walls. Outside the cell.

He had gotten the information he needed, and there was now no doubt that he would probably run away to continue investigating, while Carol would have to wait for Asuia's law enforcement officers to corroborate his story with the Intergalactic Confederation - given the efficiency they had shown in their arrest, Carol suspected that it would not be for a few hours-.

\- “I would spare your life, because you have served my glorious purpose.”

\- “You did not spare my life.” Carol retorqued dryly. “You spared yourself a humiliation because you'll never do better than give me a superficial scratch.”

\- “That's it.” He ignored his comment with his most haughty expression. "Have a good night in jail. »

**Anser Galaxy, Mismar, planet hosting the memory of the universe**

Carol was released from prison precisely four hours and seventeen minutes after Loki. Not that she counted as she gazed at the white, sanitized ceiling of her cell.

She remembered Lieutenant Leporis' surprise when he saw that Loki had run away, hardly more shaken than when he had learned that the worst scoundrel in the universe had been found dead. Carol had simply looked up at the sky before quickly heading for the Anser Galaxy. She didn't have time to realise that intergalactic peacekeepers were hardly more useful than a tidy shoe store.

The Anser Galaxy, fortunately, was not very far from the Asuia Galaxy. A sort of golden spiral that shone at the centre of the universe of a thousand and one shines. There were two suns shining with a silvery glow, like an infinitely brighter moon, and two habitable planets in the middle of a huge asteroid field that shone like diamonds under the sunlight.

Among the two habitable planets in this beautiful Galaxy was Mismar. A tiny planet, half the size of the Moon, which revolved around its precious Midgard. The inhabitants were called the Archivists and they lived in hollow green trees as big as skyscrapers. These trees were surrounded by a very different kind of forest, that of knowledge, huge buildings in a style close to the Italian Renaissance, like thousands of the Vatican which contained all the knowledge of the universe.

The Intergalactic Mismarine Archives.

Thousands of white buildings shining under the pinkish sky of Mismar.

Carol had vowed to take her daughter there one day. Toni only swore by her precious technology but was suspicious of it all the same. Especially the internet and the information that was beginning to be found there. She preferred to check her data in her books, noting the keys to her research in small black notebooks equipped with digital locks and did not hesitate to attack anyone who was not authorised.

Toni still loved books, enjoyed reading in her spare time, although Carol always suspected that she liked it best when Howard was reading. Always aloud, on long winter evenings when the cold prevented them from stargazing.

Mismar was truly a beautiful planet.

Carol entered through one of the buildings related to magic. The entrance hall consisted of a vault showing a map of moving stars, ancient inscriptions shone brightly in gold on a purple marble striated with black. A heavy and mystical, almost religious atmosphere reigned in this high place.

The last time she had come, she was still called Vers and was accompanied by _her._

The blonde stayed for a moment in the centre of the hall, while she could see the different rooms adapted to the different magics all around her. Nostalgia invaded her as behind her eyelids were violet eyes, electric magic, charming smile, and auburn hair.

\- “Can I help you?” A deep voice resounded.

Carol turned to meet an Archivist, dressed in long white toga embroidered with gold, their appearance was always hidden behind thick hats. No one knows what an archivist looks like without their precious fabric weave.

\- “I am looking for the meaning of a symbol section.”

\- “Strange.” The Archivist commented. “Let me guide you.”

Mismar, in addition to being a planet-library, was made up of about a hundred wormholes that allowed movement between the different sections. It took Carol barely three minutes to get to the part she wanted thanks to the Archivist who disappeared without a word once she had found her way there.

The symbol library was less impressive than the magic section. There was, however, an aura of mystery as statues filled with symbolism lined up between the wide shelves.

And among its shelves, comfortable armchairs, and study tables.

Only one man was there. Easily recognizable, even without his ugly mask with goat horns.

Prince Loki of Asgard.

Clothed in black and green leather, surrounded by books, the expression pinched as he was going through a book as big as a cinder block. Carol was almost amused to find it there but knew her amusement would be short-lived when the prince threatened -probably- to stab her. _Again._

\- “Agent Leporis seemed little surprised by your escape. “Carol approached him in a tone almost implying friendship.

\- “You got out faster than I thought. And your mind isn't so narrow-minded if you chose to find out about the mysterious symbol at the Mismarine Archives.”

\- “It's an obvious choice, even if it takes time to find an answer.”

Loki did not look up at her, continuing to walk the lines greedily in search of information. He seemed in his element, quiet and peaceful. So he was not a warrior prince as she had suspected, probably more a scholar whose skill and cunning served him well on a battlefield he probably deplored. Cunning like a snake and probably more dangerous as if he were a warrior at the first place.

\- “Not when you know where to look.”

\- “And you know it?”

\- “The symbology of the nine kingdoms, the murderer knows Asgard and its history, it is very likely that they are ancient enemies of my people, and in that case, however ancient this symbol may be, those books will have an answer.”

Carol's gaze was drawn to a dusty book with a blue leather cover that had been removed: "The Midgardian semiology ". Perfectly accurate for a prince who do not like them with all his dusty heart.

\- “It would go much faster if there were two of us.” Loki added with a recalcitrant tone and a bitter grimace.

\- “Is this a kind of invitation to collaborate on this investigation?”

Carol did not like the idea of working with Loki. He was disobedient, rebellious and had tried to stab her twice. However, she had to admit two things; he was powerful and clever. He seemed to have an increased knowledge of the universe in which he lived - despite her time with the Kree and her travels through space, her limited knowledge was still lacking-.

\- “I had time to do some research on you.” Loki replied simply. “You're a kind of Good Samaritan of the universe. Which is confusing.”

Loki looked up at her, his eyes were slightly wrinkled, as if he were trying to read her. Carol just looked stoic, waiting to see what her analysis would yield.

\- “We have the same goal; we are moving in the same direction and you are not so useless. Take a book, and we'll see.”

\- “I’ve understood a thing or two about you too. " Carol said to him in a placid tone. “You may not have all the divine attributes you're given on Midgard, but you're certainly a pathological manipulator.”

\- “I find this a very reductive analysis of my ability to take advantage of a situation.”

\- “And I refuse to let this capacity harm me directly or indirectly.”

Loki looked at her. With a kind of surprise with which she was familiar, it was the same look Toni used to approach when someone surprised her intellectually, when they were less stupid than she had imagined. Of course, on her daughter's face it was rarely an insult, a good surprise that was always accompanied by a smile and enthusiastic babbling. Loki was different, he looked disappointed.

\- “Well, I will not prejudice you directly or indirectly during this investigation. Now take a book and read.”

Carol may have deliberately taken "The Midgardian Semiology". A fleeting feeling of nostalgia surrounded her every time she recognised a symbol, making her read much faster. She turned the pages to the next symbol, learning a thing or two in the process, strange anecdotes about secret societies she had never suspected existed and underground government group.

It was also very disturbing to discover that HYDRA had existed for centuries on earth and that they had several times re-emerged as a wildflower, more powerful and destroying anyone who tried to attack one of their precious heads. Perhaps she should warn Fury the next time she is on earth.

\- “I've got it!” Carol exclaimed after long hours of reading and the book dangerously close to its end.

\- “Did you find it?” Loki said with an air of doubt.

Carol sighed before showing him the illustration showing the famous symbol they had found on Barnard and then Steiner.

\- “An alchemical symbol of gold, also meaning power. It is notably associated with Nicholas Flamel, a very famous alchemist of Midgardian origin, who is said to have succeeded in creating a stone capable of transforming lead into gold and stopping time for its wearer, making it fictitiously immortal.”

\- “Nicholas Flamel.” Loki had an amused sniff while testing the name. “He is certainly not a Midgardian, and he uses a type of magic called Flamelism, Flamelism being unique to the Flamel planet destroyed six centuries ago by the Kree population. He possessed a priceless treasure, probably the stone mentioned in the description.”

\- “Nicholas Flamel was an alien.”

Loki frowned at Carol's stunned look, probably still annoyed. It was hard to imagine that species had taken refuge on Midgard when life elsewhere was considered as a possibility at best, as a fairy tale at worst; it was at least as strange as knowing that the Greek and Scandinavian deities came from other planets.

A silence hovered for a moment as Loki made the books - a spell of a pretty emerald colour - fly through the symbology section, keeping only the book they were interested in.

The symbol of gold and power. From an extinct race that possessed an ancient treasure: the Philosopher's Stone, which presumably was still on Midgard, since the Kree would have boasted of having retrieved it otherwise. They liked to boast about the treasures they managed to bring back from the planets they were at war with, displaying them in a huge room in the building of supreme intelligence.

\- “It is very likely that the person who is perpetuating his murders is a being endowed with magic.”

\- “A Flamelist?”

\- “No chance, flamelists are an extinct species. Those that survived may have given birth to a generation or two, but they were unable to procreate with other species.” Loki explained. “Our murderer has an acute knowledge of the world of magic, few users are interested in the different types found in the universe, and the underworld. That only means one thing, the murderer is someone powerful.”

Carol felt frustrated. At best he would have to question all the sorcerers that Loki thought clever and in view of his ego, the list would have to be narrowed down, at worst they were already on the wrong track. A people would be falsely accused of crimes they didn't commit and would be plunged into a war, and the entire universe could suffer if the murders continued to multiply at high speed.

Loki had a pensive look on his face, his long fingers under his chin, his green eyes staring at the immensity of the Mismarine Archives.

\- “I think I know who will have answers.”

\- “So we work together.””

\- “It's obvious to me, you're assisting me and I'm not stabbing you.”

\- “I don't assist you, I collaborate on an equal basis.” Carol corrected with a sigh, her power swarming through her fingers, hesitating to send him flying against one of the libraries.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, I hope you enjoyed this chapter!
> 
> Just to clarify two points, the Earth is called Midgard elsewhere in the Galaxy and there should be a little more action in the future, although I really like to describe the planets Carol visits (think of it as an imaginary tour of the universe)
> 
> See you next time  
> HappyIsBlue


	4. Step 4 : Start bonding over an evil witch

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Carol and Loki goes to Analeps for more information, but what they discover is scary.

**Galaxie Gramar, Analeps Planet, World of wealth and opulence**

\- “Wait a minute. “Carol interrupted, turning to Loki who was driving their ship. “You mean our best chance of making progress in our investigation is a witch who runs a brothel.”

Loki raised an eyebrow without uttering a word, continuing to drive.

In front of them stood the vastness of space and above all the galaxy of Gramar. The gathering of billions of stars and planets revolving around a black hole looked like a strange ballet in the form of a barred spiral shining with a silvery glow.

\- “Besides, if this witch really knows everything, why did you start looking for information in Mismar? I mean, you should have gone to see her first, shouldn't you?”

\- “And deprive me of a partnership with you? “he sighed sarcastically. “Lady Revel is a dangerous witch. If I can avoid soliciting her, I just do. “

Carol did not need him to turn to her to know that he was afraid. No sooner had he said her name than all his muscles tightened, and his voice was devoid of any underlying malice or mockery. She had never heard of this Lady Revel, and to tell the truth Gramar was in an area of the universe she knew extraordinarily little about - and which would have been difficult to reach so quickly without her power-. But if Loki was afraid of her, when he did not even seem to be shaken by Carol, it was because she must have been terrifying.

\- “What makes her so frightening?”

\- “She’s an Eternal, a species older than the Asgardians. Phoebe, daughter of Atlas, she was rejected by her people even before Odin was born for her father's crimes. She has been stripped of most of her powers, but she is still an almost invulnerable immortal who controls the Secrets.”

\- “I expected mental control.”

Carol shrugged her shoulders as Loki looked up at the sky as if annoyed by her remark.

In twenty hours of flying at Light-speed, the blonde had finally understood a thing or two about him. He was not fundamentally bad, in fact, if he had managed to stab her, it would have been a nice wound, but certainly not a fatal one. He did not like to talk unless the conversation was not directly about him and it helped to establish his superior intelligence.

So Secrets were probably a more dangerous power than mind control, and she knew nothing of its subtleties. She wondered what could be so threatening about hidden truths, but then she remembered that this kind of truth could hurt people very seriously psychologically. Maybe it was like mind control, but more vicious.

\- “How did you hear about her? Lady Revel?”

\- “I met her in the past.”

He said no more, remained evasive.

Carol sighed, preferring not to force him, if he was afraid of Lady Revel, it must not have been the kind of story we liked to tell, let alone hear.

Analeps were not far away, they entered the cloud of Synecdok, a bright blue pile of dust. The beauty of the space was reflected in Carol's brown eyes, recording her images in her mind in a brief moment of serenity. When she decided to become Captain Marvel and save the Universe, she had hoped to discover this kind of jewel of pure beauty, nature in its purest form, a cloud of space dust, star clusters, colourful galaxies, amazing planets, and unspeakable wonders.

\- “Analeps, straight ahead.”

Analeps was a small planet rotating around two stars, nowadays it was nestled like a ring in a box between a red giant and a white dwarf. It was punctuated with blue and green like Midgard, and Carol imagined herself for a moment returning home.

Analeps was not a very different planet from Earth, except that the plants were a more pastel green, softer and the water a crystalline turquoise blue. The cities that made up the planet were made of white marbles shining under the two suns reminiscent of Carol's illustrations from ancient Greece. The wide columns, the buildings up to the statues and the cobblestones on the road.

They landed their ship on the outskirts of a large city, Loki taking care of his appearance, taking flowing and lighter black and green clothes, while Carol was forced to put on a dress, pale yellow, long with sandals. Loki insisted that it was easier to blend in and arouse Lady Revel's curiosity by being discreet than by trying to be spotted.

\- “How does that stir her curiosity? You can't just...”

\- “No.” Loki cut off as they entered the city. “Lady Revel only wants customers in her house who are likely to let a Secret slip out on the pillow or who are interesting enough to have a Secret to exchange.”

Carol had secrets. Were they interesting enough to be exchanged? The universe did not know where she came from and so few knew. Her biggest secret was Toni, her little girl, she never mentioned her, refused even to say her name out loud in space for fear of being heard, for fear of her being attacked, for fear of her being in danger. And now that she was gone from Earth, only Howard, Peggy, Fury and the Rambeau's were left who knew that Captain Marvel and Antonia Stark were connected. A secret they kept as fiercely as she did.

Analeps was typically Carol's image of Athens in antiquity. A huge white city, with green gardens, colourful flowers, huge statues. The women wore intricate hairstyles, flowing dresses with gold belts and large jewels. The houses were made up of huge columns and men exclaimed in the streets like bards.

The wealth was carefully hidden in every detail, describing an extremely prolific planet, which corresponded to Loki's brief description at the beginning of their journey. The wealthiest figures in the universe had second homes there, most of them criminals, allowing an underground and terribly flourishing black market to flourish.

\- “What are we going to do until we become interesting enough for Lady Revel?” Carol asked Carol, observing her environment as she had learned it in the army.

\- “We won't have to wait long.” Loki simply pressed down as he walked towards what must have been some kind of coffee shop. “Lady Revel has already tried to get me out of Secrets. She has probably even felt my magic already, we will receive an invitation soon enough.”

\- “And the plan, what is it? You can't afford to arrive without a plan, especially if she's dangerous enough to scare you.”

\- “She doesn't scare me.”

Carol was not fooled, not even as he tried to look threatening, his unease and fears hovered around him, solidly hidden by a stoic and haughty envelope, an envelope through which the heroine could easily see. For a long time, she had worn such armour, refusing to let a man see her weakness and taking advantage of it to belittle her. Her father thought she would be nothing more than another ideal housewife, her brother JJ thought she was weak because she was a woman, her mother was not a model of strength, so she had built this armour to succeed, to follow in the footsteps of her models, then those of her brother Stevie.

It was a lonely life with a few tender faces on the way, had Loki been so lucky? To finally find people to open up to ?

\- “The plan is to reveal no secret, no matter how small. None.” Loki said strongly as he looked at the horizon.

\- “What happens if I give one away?”

Loki's mine became darker and sadder, melancholy. A distant memory seemed to invade him, as Carol stood beside him in the middle of an immaculate white street. What had she taken from him? Carol was tempted to put her hand on his shoulder, a sign of infinitesimal comfort from one ally to another, but it would indicate to Loki that she could see through the cracks in his armour, and anyone wearing one would hate it if someone he barely knew pointed out his weaknesses.

\- “You don't want to know.”

They spent part of their afternoon in the streets of the City, waiting for Lady Revel's famous invitation. As time passed, Loki became more tense, his steps harder against the pavement, his jaw tighter and his words sharper and more incisive. Carol took the opportunity to go on a semi-tour, asking questions to the god of mischief, the latter sharing his knowledge with pride, his ego vaguely flattered to know more, always more.

And fortunately, as the white dwarf faded from the sky and painted it pinkish, a woman approached them. More beautiful than all the others in the city, more graceful than all the dancers in the universe, it was impossible to distinguish her real appearance, as if she were trying to bend to the one that would please the interlocutor's gaze the most. Her sloes took on a peculiar shade of purple, before Carol decided to look away. _She_ had violet eyes, and she refused to see her again anywhere in the universe.

\- “I am Aglae, Lady Revel wishes to invite you both this evening.” She recited in a melodious voice, the timbre was familiar, like a caress on her ears, reviving memories of words of love in Carol's ears.

Loki took both invitations, nodding his head without saying a word. Aglae disappeared without Carol seeing his face, fearing what she would see.

The god looked at her, frowning very slightly.

\- “She’s a witch, her power is to show others the person their heart desires most.” He explained in a placid tone. “Whether the person's mind wants it or not. Who was she?”

\- “A Secret.” Carol said curtly, this time reluctant to share information about _her._ “A Secret I'd like to forget.”

\- “It might be a good thing to do it before nightfall.”

\- “Who was it? For you? “

\- “No one.” He replied.

Carol knew it was the truth. There was a kind of disappointment behind his answer, as if he wished it were a lie, that there was indeed someone in the universe who could arouse a romantic interest in him. She did not know what was sadder, wishing to hate the person this Aglae was showing or not seeing anyone.

The first option was already pretty awful.

Carol looked at the sky for a moment, wondering where _she_ was. Probably spreading misfortune and desolation to the four corners of the universe. That is what _she was_ doing, destroying. Her heart, people, good people... _She_ had never been a nice person; it was a vain hope on her part to believe that _she_ would be different from the Kree when _she_ had knowingly agreed to work with them.

\- “It's a good thing, sometimes it's the people who hurt you the most.”

Loki looked at her, his green eyes not letting any emotion out, but she could perfectly see the question hovering around him.

\- “I am saving the universe; I couldn't be with someone who was content to see it destroyed.”

The pain was always present in the hollow of her chest, as _she_ saw her pretty smile again, heard echoes of _her_ voice in her mind. And in this maelstrom of sorrow and regret, there was a constant question that hovered: “ _Did she_ love me?”.

\- “So you chose your morale.” He simply understands without saying more. “It is noble of you, contrary to what we believe, the Universe rarely gives back what we give it. And I have been living for a millennium.”

A millennium of loneliness and bitterness. Carol felt sorry for him.

And it was always so gloomy, that she went to Lady Revel at nightfall.

The blonde was watching the sky, trying to clear her mind. Analeps had three moons that shone brightly, the light they emitted was enough to illuminate the streets, reflecting off the white marble houses, all but one. Lady Revel's home was hidden, as if to deny by the light itself, as if to hide the horrible truth of this place, its secret.

People entered the interior, richly dressed, through a heavy gate of silvery metal. He was dressed in engravings, branches of an apple tree with the forbidden fruit at the end of each branch, as if to warn of the type of place that this immense dwelling was. It was not difficult to guess, the soft melody of a harp floating in the air did not hide certain passionate cries.

The gate opened in front of them at once. Lady Revel behind.

A witch whose magic hovered around her like a threatening storm cloud. She was tall, upright, and intimidating. Her dark skin shimmered under the meagre glow of light that lit up her home, a silver crown floated on her thick brown curls, flattering the beautiful, stellar shimmering, vaporous dress she wore. Her eyes were as black as the dark abyss of the universe, staring at her and Loki, as if they were insects particularly interesting to look at.

\- “Lady Revel.” The Prince of Asgard respectfully greeted with a slight nod.

\- “Loki of Asgard. Already four centuries and yet I still feel like it was yesterday. “Her tone was definitely mocking, and dangerous. His voice was deep and velvety. “And you brought me the incredibly famous Captain Marvel, what a wonderful surprise. “

Carol had the impression that this was certainly not a surprise and certainly not a wonderful event for her. Living in a small country town, she had grown up with a henhouse in the garden and had seen foxes roaming around her garden, she knew what the look of a dangerous predator looked like.

\- “Follow me, we'll talk afterwards, and I know we have a lot of interesting things to talk about.”

She had a little laugh, as if there was a particularly funny joke behind her words. Carol only had the unpleasant sensation of being a puppet in a particularly well-orchestrated play. She let her power filter through, dancing around her fingers to reassure herself, she remained Captain Marvel, a powerful heroine, and she was certainly not helpless against this Lady Revel. She could put her down, witch or not.

Loki did not seem to be in the same state of mind, his gaze lost in the lush gardens, lost again in the seemingly terribly painful memories of his last interview with Lady Revel. And yet she would have sworn, if she had only seen him from a distance and had not spent some time in his company, that he was stoic and perfectly confident.

\- “My home is the most beautiful in Analeps. It offers all the most wonderful pleasures that our universe has to offer.” Lady Revel introduced by opening the heavy double doors.

The entrance hall was huge, guarded by three blue-hair canids with orange stripes and sharp canines. The place was of a rare beauty, a complex marble tile floor coloured in black and shades of dark blue with touches of silver, a moving roof showing the star map visible from Analeps moving in real time. A mystical atmosphere seemed to reign as well as an oppressive silence, giving the impression of being in a church rather than a brothel.

The room in which Lady Revel dragged them was equally beautiful, a small purple lounge with pretty velvet loveseats, blue bubble-gum alcohol and wide drapes giving the room a cosy, subdued look. On the wall there was a superb fresco showing a myth similar to that of Persephone and Hades, in more passionate dimensions and in a suggestive form.

A very elegant brothel, run by a strong witch, which is very disturbing.

\- “Sit down.” The mistress of the house invited to sit on an armchair.

She had a smirk on her face, knowing she was in control as she took a sip of her champagne from space.

\- “I imagine you're here about the theft of the Desiree of Silver...” She started with a falsely sulky pout, before smiling, her eyes sparkling with a kind of cruelty. “Otherwise, Loki, Prince of Asgard, you would never have come back to see me. I appreciate being the last hope of your intrigues, again.”

\- “You are not our last hope, only a faster way.” His tone seemed rather light and manipulative, but the tension in his jaw clearly indicated his enmity. “And you seem to be informing already.”

\- “I am, the cards have given me some secrets.” She smiled quite smugly. “But secrets have a knack, I'm not teaching you Loki, Prince of Asgard.”

Lady Revel then turned to Carol, looking up and down at her as if she were a particularly worthy curiosity. The blonde remained stoic, raising her chin slightly while pursuing her lips, refusing to show this woman that her mere presence was intimidating, that the power she held had an influence on her.

\- “Captain Marvel.” She tested the name on his lips. “A special destiny if I am to believe my cards, a story worth telling on every planet, like a tale, like a legend. A woman born on a planet that everyone has forgotten, denigrated by most individuals of her species, and who ends up standing up to one of the oldest races in the universe, bending their knees with cosmic powers.”

Carol remained stoic, refusing to show her trouble. Had the cards really said all that about her? She had to admit one thing, there was little detail, her words were an opening and a series of questions more than a true description. Lady Revel had information about her, but not the details of her identity, she did not have her Secrets.

\- “Captain, tell me, what's your real name?”

Carol was tempted to say that this was a secret but would have confessed to Lady Revel that she clearly knew what she was trying to do.

\- “There is a story on my planet that says names have power. So, I would refrain for the moment from giving it to you.”

\- “I totally agree. But my dear, it doesn't count as a secret.” She had a truly amused laugh. “Loki has already paid the price for a Secret, and I don't wish to take it from you.”

\- “It's hard to believe.” Loki retorted, keeping a measured tone, seemed almost proud, standing nonchalantly. “Phoebe, daughter of Atlas, witch and titanide of divination and secrets. You could never do without a secret.”

\- “Sometimes there are things that have more value. It is very rare, but it so happens that I wouldn't ask you to give me secrets in exchange for information, the whole Universe would resent me if I had you under my thumb. “

Lady Revel seemed bored, Loki and Carol must have had some interesting secrets and it must have really cost her not to discover them, not to dig them up and possess them. The blonde wanted to shiver.

\- “What do you want in exchange of information?” Loki asked head-on.

\- “I want you to listen to a story. You won't have to open your mouth; you can keep your wonderful secrets to yourself.”

\- “A story?”

\- “An old, almost forgotten story of the Universe, a terrifying story. It might keep you awake at night, because its outcome is not yet written, and in all honesty, I feel that its end will be tragic.”

\- “What will it cost us?”

\- “Knowledge. Knowledge is an incredible thing, but in rare cases it is a punishment. Accept your punishment.”

Loki and Carol looked at each other. A Story. A Tale. A Legend. Words had power and probably Lady Revel's would have it. With a quick nod, they agreed, it was better to live with harmful knowledge than to let the universe plunge into a merciless war, and it was just as much better that it would not “have to give away any secrets.

\- “We listen.” Carol says with a loud voice.

\- “Good.” Lady Revel's tone was darker before an evil smile. “Well when I tell a story, it's a secret of the universe. Secrets are corrosive when you tell them, but sometimes they are corrosive when you know them.”

Loki raised an eyebrow as Carol leaned over a little more.

\- “What's your name, Captain Marvel?”

\- “She said she wouldn't tell you.” Loki sighed for a long time. “I've known you more cunning than that, Lady Revel.”

\- “You've known me more dangerous than that, and you know very well that you shouldn't upset me, don't you Loki? Even if the universe denies me the very idea of making you suffer in person, I could still make Sygin suffer”

Loki stretched out on his seat, ready to pounce, his magic undulating dangerously around him, as if he were ready to stab Lady Revel to death. She had a sadistic smile on her lips at the mention of this Sygin. Carol could easily guess that the person who had confided a secret to Lady Revel was this woman, and that she was at least a friend of Loki.

\- “I forbid you to talk about her!” The tone was threatening, almost murderous.

\- “Of course, after all Captain Marvel must know what happened to your last partner, she sacrificed a secret to save him, and now she is mine. “

Carol turned to Loki to see his face showing her emotions, it was not closed, it was really his feelings and his emotions. Blind anger, guilt and boundless sadness. Whatever had happened centuries before, it was still gnawing at the god of malice, and she understood.

\- “Tell us this secret and the information, otherwise I promise to reduce this place to ashes, and I certainly don't fear you.” This time Carol intervened, letting the energy of her power dance around her fingers, making it very visible.

Loki turned to her, this time in questioning. Carol kept her cold, dark gaze fixed on Lady Revel, her power swelling dangerously around her body in a golden halo. This woman was a monster, and she had promised Toni to eradicate all monsters.

\- “This secret is the following, from the blood of the woman shining like a star will be born the advent or fall of the universe guided by the god of horny mischief.” Loki and Carol bleached. “In other words, both of you are going to create or have created that which would lead our Universe to its most glorious time or to its fall.”

Carol freezes and whitens. Her blood. She shone like a star as it flew, her power swirling around her like the dust of a nebula. Toni, her little Toni, an unparalleled genius, adorable and gentle, always so innocent with big, marvelling eyes and unfortunately a rare pride and arrogance could be the fall or rise of the universe if her path ever crossed that of Loki.

This strange god who gave the impression of being a murderer but who was nothing more or less than a being endowed with complex emotions that perhaps were not so well understood by others. She remained convinced that he would never have stabbed her to death, and above all that a being who wanted to save his people could not be fundamentally evil. Not when there was so much emotion depicted on her face at the mention of someone who had sacrificed for him centuries ago.

And yet she was afraid. Toni had a rare potential and anything could tip the balance of her morality. She was not naive, Toni was still building herself up like any twelve-year-old child, but if during her adolescence tragic events came to mind, the scales could tip her in one direction or the other. And Carol would never have the strength to hurt her baby. And with her genius, she doubted that someone without superpowers could really deal with her baby's genius.

\- “Do you trust your own blood, Captain Marvel?”

\- “Yes.” Because Toni was her daughter and she would fight for her, never against her, as long as she lived.

\- “Yet there is darkness.” Lady Revel continued, insinuating herself under her skin like a snake. “Your need to go beyond the limits, your blood will have it too. Your pride, your blood will have it too. And your blood will have so much more than you... but you already know that don't you, Captain Marvel? The inerrant potential of your blood.”

\- “I forbid you to speak...”

\- “Enough.” Loki furiously cut off. “Give us the information we came for.”

His voice was less confident, but his eyes shone with a determined green glow, her jaw clenched like his fists, she could see the knuckles whitening.

\- “Good. A deal's a deal.” She always smiles predatory. “The culprit is an organisation called the Golden Circle, which has existed secretly for several millennia, their goal being to bring back to this dimension a very powerful Asgardian Witch called the Emerald Enchantress. The murders, as you can imagine, are only there so that a war will break out and Asgard will be isolated.”

And Lady Revel laughed. The sound resonated like the trumpet of the apocalypse in Carol’s ears.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, I hope you enjoyed this chapter!
> 
> I hope I write Loki well. I'm a bit scared cause he's a very complex characters. In the next chapter, there will be more actions. And bonding. 4
> 
> HappyIsBlue

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you like it ! 
> 
> HappyIsBlue


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